Greenland police arrest anti-whaling campaigner based on arrest warrant issued by Japan
Date
7/22/2024 3:30:07 AM
(MENAFN) On Sunday, Greenland Police arrested Paul Watson, a prominent environmental activist and anti-whaling campaigner, based on an international arrest warrant issued by Japan. Watson was apprehended when his ship docked in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. According to a police statement, he will be presented before a district court where a decision will be made regarding his detention while awaiting potential extradition to Japan.
The Captain Paul Watson Foundation reported that more than a dozen police officers boarded Watson's vessel, arresting him and leading him away in handcuffs during a refueling stop. The ship, which was carrying 25 volunteer crew members, was en route to the North Pacific with the mission of intercepting a new Japanese whaling ship.
The foundation indicated that Watson's arrest is likely connected to a previous Red Notice related to his anti-whaling efforts in the Antarctic region. In an emailed statement, Locky MacLean, a director of the foundation, urged the Danish government to release Watson and reject what he described as a politically motivated extradition request.
Watson, a 73-year-old Canadian-American, is the former head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. His direct-action tactics, which have included high-seas confrontations with whaling vessels, have garnered support from celebrities and been featured in the reality television series "Whale Wars." However, these actions have also led to clashes with authorities. In 2012, Watson was detained in Germany on a Costa Rican extradition warrant but absconded after discovering that Japan was also seeking his extradition. Japan has accused him of endangering whalers’ lives during operations in the Antarctic Ocean.
Greenland, where Watson was arrested, is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which adds an additional layer of complexity to the extradition process.
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